A Taste of Vengeance
by Andorian Ice Princess-AIP
Summary: Ed and Sam have a heart to heart about Sam wanting to be TL, but the evening doesn't end quite as planned as they are forced into an ambush and it becomes a fight to the death. Tag to eppy 4.11 'Wild Card'


**Title: A Taste of Vengeance**

**Summary:** Ed and Sam have a heart to heart about Sam wanting to be TL, but the evening doesn't end quite as planned as they are forced into an ambush and it becomes a fight to the death. Tag to eppy 4.11 'Wild Card'

**Disclaimer: **If I owned anything to do with FP Ed would be all mine! Hehe *alas* I own only my DVD's that fuel my imaginative muse Alice.

**A/N:** Okay so after watching Wild Card again (gosh Ed in a suit undercover *swoon*) Alice caught this plot bunny for an angsty/little action packed (two things we LOVE to write about best) OS featuring Ed and Sam (first time writing this pairing b/c am partial to my Ed/Wordy so hope this doesn't suck!). I truly hope you all like this!

**~Dedicated to Laura ~**

* * *

When Greg had told him the reason behind Sam's out of character behavior earlier in the day it made sense; Sam wanted a shot at being Team Lead and for that Ed couldn't blame him. He had been told when he was given the job as TL over five years ago, to look for those he thought would excel in a leadership position, train them and then when they were ready they'd be given assignments with other teams – Ed's position as TL for Team One cemented in place for as long as he wanted.

Sam was a born leader and Ed had admired something inside the cocky young recruit from day one; he just needed to have certain skills and leadership qualities fine-tuned in order to make that happen. He had seen things in Troy, Rollie, Donna and now Sam right from the start; the previous three having already advanced to leading teams of their own and for that he couldn't be prouder.

Ed enters the quiet locker room, wanting to get home to his family after a very trying day and tell him about his nearly botched undercover stint. Just before he turns to leave, he spots Sam in the corner, about ready to head out himself, gives his back a warm smile and heads over to say goodnight.

Sam turns to see Ed nearing him and feels his stomach slightly stiffen. He had openly argued and questioned a man he'd come to respect almost more than his own father and now was feeling a twinge of guilt. He had gotten the rundown of the team profiles from Holleran the day he started and knew it was Ed's standards and expectations that he had to and wanted to live up to the most. Sure Ed was human and made mistakes like he and the rest did, but his loyalty to the job while still making his family life work for the most part was something to really respect; especially since he was wanting a family of his own someday.

"You okay after all that?" Sam asks Ed in concern.

"Still gotta face the wife," Ed slightly smirks before his expression turns serious. "TL huh."

"Yeah," Sam nods, his heart rate elevated in anticipation of Ed's response. "You and um…Greg talk about it?"

"We did."

"Look Ed, I don't want your job…okay well not on…yeah never mind," Sam lightly stammers as Ed holds up his hand to stop his speech.

"I get it okay…I do. I was you…I joined Team One and I knew practically from day one that I wanted to be TL. You have great instincts and leadership skills Sam…you'll have a team to lead of your own…maybe sooner than you think," Ed replies, believing Greg that his job as TL for Team One was cemented in place.

"Wait…am I leaving team one? Is there an opening elsewhere?"

"No," Ed gently chuckles and Sam's expression softens. "But I'm not gonna discuss things with you that you need to be discussing with Greg. But you wanna try being TL a few times with Team One to prepare yourself for...whenever, I have no trouble with that."

"I guess I shoulda discussed it with you or Greg earlier but um…" Sam pauses as he emits a heavy sigh, his fingers absently fiddling with the bottom edge of his jacket. "I do want to lead a team of my own…I do; just not sure when. I know what's involved and what I'd be giving up. Sometimes I think I'm ready…and…sometimes not."

"And it's frustrating if that isn't available right then when you are right? And then you wait and the feeling is gone and you start to question yourself and around it goes."

"Something like that. You mad?"

"Hardly. Just wish you had told me what was really bugging you this morning."

"Yeah...sorry."

"Sam I saw something in you from day one…just needed a bit of fine tuning that's all."

"Guess I was a bit cocky when I started."

"Trust me Greg put me in my place a few times as well…hell he still does," Ed replies. "But it makes us better and he knows it and I know it. You're a good man Sam and will make a great TL, I do believe that."

"I'm ready because of you," Sam admits in truth. "I know most of us aren't always that uh…well big on thank yous and such but I do feel ready because of you so thanks."

"You make me proud Sam," Ed's hand rests on his shoulder and gives it a friendly squeeze.

"So…can I buy you a beer to end the day on a better note," Sam suggests for a few minutes as he closes his locker. "You know just to unwind and bond a little?"

"Sure," Ed agrees as they both head out of the dimly lit locker room, head into the parking lot and then toward Ed's car and get inside.

"Harvey Micks huh…" Sam ponders as he looks out the window with a small frown. "Ever run into him before this? You know on a job or something?"

"No but Roy has and Wordy might," Ed explains. "A real piece of work that guy is," Ed grimaces as he slowly heads toward their favorite hangout.

"Roy?" Sam lightly jokes.

"Yeah him too," Ed nods with a small smile.

"How are things with you and Roy?" Sam inquires. The moment he met Roy Lane there was something about the younger Lane brother that Sam just didn't like; maybe it was the fact that he didn't respect Ed as much as Sam thought Ed deserved that respect; especially from his own brother. He quickly thinks back to the Sunrise motel and how Ed had given the order to stand down and Roy didn't listen and ended up getting his partner killed. After those events, things between the two Lane brothers were strained. Ed had told them that Roy had been reinstated but things weren't close between them; probably never would be again. What a waste.

"Yeah fine…Roy's um…he's Roy," Ed shrugs. "What can I tell ya…we're just not that close. He likes to do his own thing at times and that…"

"Doesn't always work," Sam states more than questions. He notices Ed's knuckles flex around the steering wheel and knows to quickly change the subject; he wanted tonight to end on a friendly note, not with strained tension. "So…Harvey Micks…" Sam smirks.

"He's someone you don't want to cross."

"And yet…we crossed him," Sam mentions carefully.

"Yeah didn't expect him to show up in the club today," Ed groans as they near a detour and Ed carefully directs his car to the right to take a street less travelled; his mind not really giving the detour much thought.

"Bad Intel," Sam huffs.

"Yeah but you handled yourself well in there today. I wasn't worried with you calling the shots," Ed lightly praises to which Sam smiles.

"But a guy like Micks isn't one to forget things so easily."

"I called Wordy and gave him the heads up. He might not have any direct dealings with him but…" is all Ed manages before the car is hit from behind, forcing Ed and Sam's body to slightly slam into the steering wheel and dash before slumping back to the seats, both a little dazed; the Ford Flex having veered to the right and up onto the curb and slamming into a pole; the airbags not deploying as most of the force hit on Ed's side and not full on frontal.

"What the hell…Ed…"

"Sam…you okay?" Ed asks with a small grunt as he gives his head a shake and tries to get his vision to clear. He looks over at Sam and notices his expression grow a bit grim. "What?"

"Your head…it's…bleeding," Sam points to a cut from the side panel just above Ed's left eye; his own hand feeling the warm trickle of some fresh blood from his nose as he quickly wipes it away. "What was…that?"

"Not sure…hold on a sec…" Ed huffs as he fumbles with the seatbelt, his fingers pressing the button and his lips uttering an angry curse when it wouldn't click open. "Damn buckle…I'm stuck," Ed stops as he notices two men get out from the dark sedan behind them. "Sam…here they come. They don't look friendly."

"What…can you get free?"

"Not yet…hold on," Ed grunts as he tries to get his buckle off. "My buckle's really jammed…" Ed manages as Sam finally gets his belt off and hops out just as the two men reach the doors. "Sam!"

"Is there a proble…" is all Sam gets out before the two men each pull a gun; the one on Ed's side yanking open his door and pointing his gun right at him. "Ok-ay there is."

"What do you want?" Ed demands as he looks up at his own attacker.

"You."

"To the point," Ed frowns as he looks up at the man, cursing the fact that his head was still throbbing from the crash.

"What's this about?" Sam inquires next.

"Vengeance," the man facing him replies slowly. "Get out, you two are wanted elsewhere."

"Like hell," Ed mutters under his breath. "Who sent you t…"

"Quit stalling and get out of the damn car."

"This thing is stuck," Ed growls in return; watching as the man pulls a knife to cut him free.

As the man tries to lean in to cut the straps keeping Ed in place, Ed's hands reach for the knife and the arm and he yanks the man toward him, hoping to at least stall so that Sam could call for help or even daze his attacker in the process; however the goon mis-steps and things don't go as planned.

Sam follows Ed's cue and uses his own attacker's momentary distraction to drop his shoulder and charge, pushing his attacker into the passenger side door, landing a hard blow to his jaw and snapping the man's head back onto the hard roof of the car; the gun in his hand clattering to the ground, close to the sewer before falling in and making Sam curse at the lost weapon.

Ed manages to get his right hand onto the left hand of his attacker, trying to wrestle the knife free and get himself loose in the process. He yanks the man forward at the same time his left hand pushes down on the seatbelt and the damn thing finally clicks open. But the man's footing shifts and Ed's lips utter a painful gasp he feels the tip of the knife blade finally make its way through the folds of his sweater and undershirt, his open jacket flap offering nothing in the way of protection.

Ed's attacker pulls back slightly, but before he can plunge the knife further into his vulnerable belly, Sam's hands grab the man by the back of his jacket, hitting him in the back of the head and allowing Ed an opening that he wasn't about to waste. Ed pushes himself from the slightly mangled front seat, grasps Sam's hand and finally pops free of the interior cabin.

"Damn street is deserted!" Ed groans.

"This way! We'll hide in there!" Sam shouts as he looks at the somewhat desolated street and finally finds a place they could get to and call for help. "Ed!" Sam turns back to see Ed trying to grab something, pulling him by the back of the jacket just as the two dazed men start to recover.

"No we need…"

"Hurry!" Sam urges as he gives Ed's arm a good tug and they sprint away from the car just as the two goons recover.

"Do you have your gun?"

"No you?"

"Spare only," Ed groans as he feels his spare still at his side. "Won't hold them off for long. And no spare clip. That's what I was trying to get."

"Okay…we hafta call for backup then; the other gun went down the sewer."

"Just find us shelter."

As soon as he starts to run, the fresh wound in Ed's side starts to really throb, his left hand instantly wrapping around his stomach and clamping down on the wound to keep the blood from seeping out and the rough edges of the cut fabric from tormenting the wound even further.

The two of them near the door to the somewhat darkened apartment building as their two attackers quickly pick themselves back up and give chase. Sam's hand reaches for the door handle just as a small 'ping' is heard and the bullet from the silenced weapon behind them embeds itself into the wood, inches from Sam's hand. The two of them duck into the building, racing down the dark, dingy hallway and heading for the exit door a few meters ahead.

Ed's lips stifle back another gasp as his side starts to throb a bit harder, silently begging for him to stop and rest. "Go through…" Ed directs sharply as the other door opens and the two Micks hired goons enter, firing off another shot. Sam tries to push through the door but finds it locked from the other side and he's unable.

"What the hell? An exit door that you can't use…" he grumbles as Ed's hand grabs a handful of Sam's jacket and pulls him out of the path of the next on-coming bullet; the two of them now rushing up the nearby staircase to find another exit.

They reach the second landing as the two goons reach the bottom. Ed pulls his gun and fires off a shot, hoping the noise will attract some attention to them and the police would be called; but the building was devoid of help and contains no safe refuge, no one was coming – yet.

"What kind of building is this?" Sam huffs loudly as he bangs through what appears to be an apartment door, but is actually empty on the other side.

"Probably slated for demolition. We need to find…" Ed's words are cut off by a bullet whizzing past them both and splintering a piece of rotting wood about a foot behind them.

"A place to hide and call for backup," Sam concludes as another bullet grazes his hand, forcing him to pull back with a yelp and Ed to look at him in instant concern.

"Just a scratch," Sam calls back as they race down the empty hallway, busting through the back exit door and then heading for the third floor, Sam in the lead; the two goons close on their heels.

"We…hafta take them out…here," Ed instructs as they reach the third floor and then stop on the other side of the exit door; this floor just as abandoned and desolate as the other two; no one coming to their aid anytime soon. Sam notices the fresh blood on Ed's left hand but before he can ask him where he's cut, the two goons bust through the door and it's time for action.

Ed takes the one on his left, leaving the other for Sam. The two of them start to tussle but a few blows to his wounded side and his lungs are gasping for air. He watches the gun come out and a few more shots are fired, missing his neck but sending enough warning messages to his brain to tell him to push through the pain and get the job done or pay the ultimate price. He shoves the other man toward the stairwell, kicking him in the stomach backward onto the railing; the man grunting and his gun falling from his hand and clattering to the concrete steps one level below.

Another fierce blow to the man's jaw and Ed's attacker is taken down for good. But just as Ed turns to help out Sam, a shot rings out and in an instant the three of them stop and look at another man at the other end of the floor firing at them.

"Sam!" Ed warns loudly as he draws his spare gun and fires back, sending the new player ducking behind the wall for cover. Both Ed and Sam land a hard punch to man Sam had been tangling with; giving a few second opening for the other man to break cover and charge toward them.

"Here," Ed hands Sam his gun and then turns and darts into the stairwell, wanting to get the other gun that had fallen moments earlier.

Sam ducks behind the stairwell corner as the other man approaches and then jumps out, firing once and taking the new assailant down in mere seconds. He rips the bottom of his t-shirt, wraps it around his bleeding and throbbing hand and then turns and heads into the stairwell where he hears a few grunts and curses, looking down to see Ed tangling with another Harvey Micks hired goon.

Ensuring his gun was still clenched tightly in his fingers; Sam takes a deep breath and then jumps over the railing, landing on the guy about to tackle Ed once more, the other goon breaking his fall and then rolling down the stairwell toward the first landing.

"Ed…you okay?" Sam asks with a small gasp.

"Yeah…" Ed lightly pants as he grabs the gun and then quickly stands up by Sam. "You?"

"Fine."

"I doubt Micks will give up with those guys. You call for backup yet?"

Sam pulls his phone only to see that it was busted in the fall. "Damn it," Sam curses as he shoves his phone back into his inner pocket. "You have yours?"

"Here. Make it count," Ed shoves his phone into Sam's hand and then pauses before he pulls open the door to the second floor. "Let's go up…quietly," Ed gestures as he hears two more talking in the distance.

"No reception in here," Sam huffs as they climb past the third level and head for the fourth. Sam stuffs Ed's phone into his jacket to keep it safe as he draws his gun just in case there would be a surprise waiting for them on the top floor. Ed pulls open the door to the third floor and is about to enter when Sam's fingers touch his arm and he instantly stops, looking at Sam in wonder. Sam points to a shadow waiting to ambush them and both of them back away as quietly as possible.

"Back down…" Ed utters in a deliberately loud whisper as he lets the door close and both of them head up instead of down. They reach the fourth floor, slowly pull the door open and then enter, Sam first and then Ed – both with their guns drawn.

"Okay…make the call…I'll scout the floor," Ed tells Sam in a hushed tone. "Careful with each step."

"Copy that," Sam whispers as he pulls the phone and slowly heads toward the end of the building where he hopes there will be better reception and less action away from the far stairwell. Ed hovers around the stairwell, gently trying each door and then pausing as his hand gingerly tests his side; coming away once again with fresh blood.

"Damn it," he curses in an angry tone as he finally finds an open door and then slowly pushes it open and enters. As quietly as possible, he hurries toward the window and looks down, narrowing his gaze as he watches another darkened sedan pull up and two more guys emerge; both of them armed.

Sam dials once more, cursing as he gets another warning sound that the call still hasn't connected. He hears a slight noise behind him but thinks its Ed and so remains in place, praying the call connects this time around. However, as he feels the cold steel barrel pressed against his neck and his ears pick up the unmistakable 'click' of a trigger being cocked, his entire frame seizes for a few seconds.

"Drop the phone," the thug hisses as he presses the gun a bit further into the folds of Sam's neck. Feeling the gun still resting in the waistband of his jeans, his mind contemplates for a few seconds his next actions.

"I said…drop it…."

"You first!" Ed barks as he clubs the goon with the butt end of his gun, quickly grabbing his body before he could make too much of a commotion and alert those down below to their location. "Did the call get out?"

"Not yet but I tried sending a text to the boss so hopefully that worked. How many more?"

"Assuming they all come in pairs, three. I just saw two more pull up so unless there were others besides this guy and his partner I'd say three. We need to get out of here though."

"Roof?"

"Might be our only way…" Ed pauses as his face automatically displays a painful wince.

"Ed?"

"Sam I'm okay. We hafta worry about…"

"Can I at least see what happened?"

"A knife cut…trust me it's not bad."

"Stubborn," Sam slightly smirks.

"Yeah just don't pick up that habit."

"Too late…just ask...um..."

"Jules?" Ed frowns. "Trust me I don't hafta I saw your hand," Ed groans as they pick up footsteps one level down. "Okay roof…now."

The two of them head back into the hallway and rush toward the stairwell, Ed going first, pulling the door open and then listening to make sure they could escape to the roof without being noticed. He nods with his head and the two of them start into the stairwell, their footsteps careful and deliberate. But the door to the roof doesn't open easily and by the second hit from both their shoulders, the rusty door finally creaks open, bringing the three remaining Micks goons hurrying in their direction.

"There they are!" One of the goons shouts.

"Move!" Ed shouts as he fires off a shot, sending the three scrambling for cover and the two of them outside into the cool night air. "Find a way down!"

Ed and Sam quickly separate, racing to opposite ends of the building and looking for the fire escape to take them down. Nothing on either side and they quickly reconvene in the middle with a new plan; hiding behind the wooden elevator shaft just as the other three bust through the roof entrance.

"Okay we gotta take them out and…" Ed whispers as he puts a bit more of his weight against the wooden elevator shaft.

"Okay find them! We fail and it's our asses on the line!" One of them directs in a gruff tone as the three of them separate.

"Okay I'm gonna head back to the stairwell and…"

"Ed, you can't you're injured. I'll go," Sam insists as one of them nears the other side of the elevator shaft, instantly forcing the two of them to stop talking. Ed watches the shadow appear on his side and then looks at Sam and nods.

"Okay...go now!" Ed directs as he lunges at the legs, taking the man down for the count and then drawing the other two to their direction.

Sam quickly stands up and bolts for the stairwell door, hoping to draw the two remaining after him and give Ed a real fighting chance. The ploy doesn't work as two charge for Sam and soon both Ed and Sam are embroiled in a merciless fight to the death. Sam kicks at the first man in the groin as the other goes around and tries to grab his arms and at least get the gun and render him defenseless to the other attacker.

_This is war…and it's a fight to the death…_his mind demands his body, his military training coming to the fore and forcing his body to react the way he had been trained in the field. His fist lands in the man before him, busting his nose and snapping his head backward as the other man hits him hard on the back, forcing Sam to cry out but not falter; his mind more determined than ever to keep going.

Ed lands another hard elbow to his attacker's stomach, making the man curse but not loosen his grip on the bottom edge of Ed's jacket, jerking him forward; nearly making Ed lose his footing. The two of them stumble dangerously close toward the edge of the wooden elevator shaft, threatening to tumble inside if not careful.

The goon brings his gun up and tries to fire off a shot but Ed counters, making sure the shot that had been intended for Sam never met its mark. Ed manages to punch his attacker in the side, forcing him to gasp once more before another hit follows, enabling Ed to pull his gun and fire off a shot, hitting one of the men wrestling with Sam, taking him down and evening out the fighting odds.

But just as Ed tries to swing his gun around, the goon wraps his arms around Ed's waist and pushes him backward into the wooden elevator shaft, forcing the old timbers to instantly splinter under their weight and the two of them bust right through.

"Sam!" Ed calls out just as he and other man tumble into the open shaft, Ed's hands quickly grasping the ledge and his legs kicking backward, sending the other man hurtling down four flights to the wooden box below; taking him out instantly.

"Ed!" Sam half shouts as he drops to his knees and reaches for Ed's hands. "I got you…hold on," Sam grunts as he gets a firm grip on Ed's hands and then starts to pull him up. But just as he gets Ed about half way out of the shaft, Sam's pulled back by the other attacker that was only dazed; Sam's legs kicking out as he's dragged away from Ed.

"Damn it," Ed curses as he tries in vain to get a good foothold on something to get out of the shaft with. He watches Sam literally rolling on the ground, trading blow for blow with his attacker, prompting him to dig his fingers into the ground, bite back the pain from his wounded side and pull himself free; finally getting back onto the solid ground of the roof.

Ed rests for a few seconds, his side urgently begging for attention, but his brain saying that right now Sam needed help and everything else had to wait. He gets to his feet, takes a deep breath of air and then rushes toward the man about to deal Sam another blow. He grabs the goons arm and yanks it back; making the goon yelp in pain as he's pried off Sam.

Ed holds the goon as Sam uses the butt end of his own gun to hit him square in the temple and render him limp in Ed's arms; Ed merely allowing his unconscious frame to sag to the ground.

"You okay?" Both of them ask at once.

"Yeah…fine," Ed lightly pants as his left hand instantly goes to the cut on his right side. "You?"

"Nothing a good night's sleep and a few band-aides won't fix."

"Copy…that," Ed sighs as he pats sam on the shoulder; both of them hearing tires screeching to a halt, but this time neither of them going to check over the edge to see who actually had pulled up. "Damn these guys just won't quit," Ed groans as they gather up the other two guns; each now having two apiece and heading back to the small refuge of the wooden elevator shaft.

"There is no way down but the stairwell and we can be sure they have that covered," Sam states with a heavy frown. "Any ideas?"

"Charge them."

"What? Seriously?"

"Charge them with both guns ready as they come through the door. They'll get tired of waiting and come up after us," Ed nods firmly. "Otherwise we're sitting ducks up here…unless you wanna slide down the elevator shaft?"

"Could try that," Sam shrugs as Ed smirks. "What? You suggested it for a reason."

"That was rhetorical."

"Oh like you'd never do that?" Sam counters with a daring glance.

"You're not me."

"You sure about that?" Sam tosses back lightly.

"I say we charge them."

"Okay once that door opens I'm ready," Sam assures him.

They both nod and wait in silence a few minutes before they hear the door being pushed open and footsteps crunching onto to the course roofing; their fate waiting to be sealed by one of the city's most ruthless gangsters.

"Now…" Ed whispers as both of them stand up with their guns ready to fire.

"Hey guys hold your fire!" Spike states as Greg emerges.

"Spike!" Sam gasps.

"Boss," Ed literally breathes a sigh of relief.

"You two okay?"

"You got Sam's text then?"

"We did. As suspected Harvey Micks made bail and was a tad peeved that his afternoon plans were ruined by you."

"Any more downstairs?"

"Raf and Jules are taking care of them right now," Greg replies as the four of them near the doorway to head back into the stairwell and head downstairs.

"So the detour…was it all a setup?"

"Partly," Spike answers in truth. "Your car was being tracked and when you turned they took advantage of it," he hands Ed a small device as they slowly descend.

"Well I'm glad the message finally got through…they just kept coming," Sam moans as they finally reach the main floor and are joined by Raf and Jules.

"You two okay?" She asks in concern, her attention focused mostly on Sam's rough and disheveled appearance.

"I'm fine…tired but um…well Ed was stabbed."

"What?" Greg asks in shock.

"Just a scratch and I'm fine…boss I'm fine," Ed insists as he slightly glowers at Sam.

"Eddie you are going to get that checked out and that's an order."

"And what about you? Any x-rays needed?" Jules wonders.

"No. Just a hot shower and some solid rest."

"If I'm going, Sam's coming with me," Ed pipes up. "Only fair," he slightly smirks.

"Ed…"

"Sam you were shot in the hand."

"On the hand," Sam argues back.

"You're going," Jules mentions firmly, giving him a look that says _don't cross me_.

"You don't want to lose that hand," Spike quips making Sam roll his eyes.

"Sam's going," Greg adds with authority.

"Fine," Sam resigns.

"See you both tomorrow," Greg pats Ed on the back and nods to Sam.

"Sir where are you cut?" One of the medics asks Ed in concern.

The two of them follow after the medic and slowly get into the waiting ambulance; Ed easing himself down so the medic could look at his side; Sam gratefully accepting a cooling pack for a small bump that was now forming on his forehead. The two of them talk a bit more about what the fallout from Harvey Micks might be; entering the ER and then each going their separate ways, Ed to get his side stitched up and Sam for x-rays and then his hand tended to; both reconvening about half hour later at the entrance to the ER.

"Nothing broken," Sam tells him in truth. "And only a few stitches on the top," he shows Ed his hand.

"And my side's gonna be fine," Ed replies as they slowly head for the door. "So this was your idea of a relaxing way to end the day?" Ed's face twists into a combination of a smirk and a grimace.

"We bonded right?" Sam smirks.

"Yeah…that we did. However, I woulda preferred the beer better."

"Okay so since I did offer to pay for _something_…how about a cab ride home? You're on the way right?"

"Sounds good to me. Good job back there but then I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Nearly lost you down that damn elevator shaft," Sam groans.

"Good thing you didn't."

"You okay after all that?" Sam slightly teases, asking the exact same question he had about an hour earlier.

"Still gotta face the wife," Ed merely shakes his head as Sam chuckles; giving him the exact same answer back.

"So how do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You know…balance everything…work…family…life."

"Ah well…here's the trick…" Ed's voice trails off as they both slowly climb into the cab, leaning against the seats and leave the hospital. The day had started on a strained note but as they head for their homes and Ed glances over at Sam he can't help but smile at the younger man beside him; a man he was more than proud to recommend for any position he might set his mind to and someone he would trust with his very life. Harvey Micks wasn't a man to cross lightly and tonight they had only gotten a small taste of his vengeance; but if a war was coming there was no finer a soldier he'd want at his side than Sam; a man he was proud to call teammate and friend.

**THE END!**

* * *

**A/N:** Okay so how was it? For you Sam fans did I do your fave character some justice? And I know I left it a bit open ended and who knows Alice might come back with another perilous follow up (b/c as most of my dear Ed readers know its what we like best muwhahaha) But please do review before you go and let me know your thoughts on this and thanks so much in advance!

**PS:** Desperate Measures will update next


End file.
